1
as in wise
displaying or marked by rude boldness
the nervy waiter held up the small tip and called out to the departing customers, "Hope it doesn't break the bank!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adventurous
inclined or willing to take risks
nervy rock climbers wanting to make gravity-defying ascents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nervous
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
I'm a little nervy about my first job interview
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nervy
Noonan plays Michael in the film with a quiet watchfulness that contrasts Jackie’s nervy, open wound of a woman played with emotive genius by Karen Sillas.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The Lakers already won two nervy road games over the Rockets during the regular season.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Wedgewood and the Avs handled their business, albeit with some nervy moments mixed in, and collected a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
With no fewer than eight players now within just four strokes of the lead, McIlroy headed back to the range to try to recalibrate ahead of his final round, but a nervy three-putt from four feet at the fourth hole on Sunday afternoon seemed to be disastrous.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervy
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The Lakers already won two nervy road games over the Rockets during the regular season.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Wedgewood and the Avs handled their business, albeit with some nervy moments mixed in, and collected a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
With no fewer than eight players now within just four strokes of the lead, McIlroy headed back to the range to try to recalibrate ahead of his final round, but a nervy three-putt from four feet at the fourth hole on Sunday afternoon seemed to be disastrous.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervy
Adjective
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Lundgren shares some wise words about how being a man is more than muscles, and about getting in front of himself — which doesn't make sense at the time, but will later.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
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This being Maine, a few wise alecks believed Bangor Black Flies would be a fitting name.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Some stories are funny, some painful, some adventurous, some outrageous, and many are rooted in nature and place.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2026
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The 43-year-old transformed Bournemouth into one of Europe’s most front-footed teams during his three seasons in charge, encouraging an adventurous off-the-ball approach that looked to smother the opposition high up the pitch.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Spinella shucks off sentimentality, always showing us Con’s offhand humor and sometimes nervous, defensive rambling.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Companies start to get nervous when the percentage of shareholders blessing their pay plans dips well below the average, which is slightly above 90%, said Elizabeth Bieber, partner at the law firm Freshfields who leads shareholder engagement.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Adley and his team make great tasting plates first and foremost, but some of the items, like the unmissable chicken wings stuffed with boudin blanc and romesco, act as a cheeky affront to haute cuisine’s pretensions and conventions.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
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The backstory The Cosmopolitan opened in 2010 as the rare new-build boutique-feeling megaresort on the Strip, leaning into art, terraces, and a deliberately cheeky brand voice to stand apart from its neighbors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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That’s because of your ambition for the most daring and revelatory stories.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
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Sweeney opted for a daring LBD that featured a deep plunging V-neckline, a miniskirt, and voluminous sleeves.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Kyoto, Japan — Nancy Higginbotham wasn’t worried when her 20-year-old son got on a train by himself during their family vacation in Japan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Farmers are now worried the beef industry could be on the fritz for a while.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The right half of the image is an architectonic jumble of patterns and bold lines, hard to parse but visually compelling.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Set the scene Sexy without being pretentious and bold without the brashness, Il Sereno is a lesson in artful restraint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Camila Mendes As Teela Camila Mendes plays Teela, Adam’s fearless childhood best friend and love interest.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
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And the tower was poised to become the centerpiece of The Climb, a British indie film that cast Cara Delevingne as a fearless eco-protester who scales Western Europe’s tallest building.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nervy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervy. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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